Fence-post.



Patented Aug.'15,'1a99. A. N. sHARRocK.

FENCE POST.

plicatio (Ap xxv led Dec. B8, 1898 (NuMudel.)

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lUNITED 'STATES f PATENT Fsica.

ALFORD NEWTON Sl-IARROOK, OF ARDMORE, INDIAN TERRITORY.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,131, dated August 15, 1899.

y Application filed December 28, 1898. Serial No.700l535. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known vthat I, ALORD NEWTON SHAR- ROCK, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Ardmore, in Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts;` and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of fenceposts in which are employed laterally-extending pivoted wings, which are adapted to lie along the sides of the post while the same is being driven into the ground and to swing outwardly to prevent the withdrawal of the post from the ground, the said invention being designed particularly as an improvement upon the device patented to Patrick Coughlin,

March'l, 1881, No. 238,358.

The object of the invention 'is to so improve upon the construction and method of mounting the wings referred to that the post may be readily driven into the ground by power applied to the upper end thereof. The Coughlin post, with which I am personally familiar, as well as others which have been brought to my attention, while intended to be driven into the ground from above, has been found to require so much power that insertion in this manner is impossible without danger of breaking the laterally-extending wings. To overcome the objection noted, I provide novel means whereby the wings 'may be folded up into comparatively close contact with the sides of the post and bevel the sides of the wings, so that sharp angles are formed thereon, which will serve to cut the way of the wings through the ground while the post is being driven 4to its seat.

The invention also consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings forminga part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation of a post constructed according to my invention with the wings thereon shown in full lines in their closed positions and in dotted lines in their open positions. Fig. 2 is a similar view at right angles ther'eto. Fig. 3 is a detail vert-ical sectional view through the lower end of the post, the same extending through both of the wings, and taken .in a plane parallel to the sides of the post. Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the upper end of the post, the same being taken on aline with one of the wire-securing bolts. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the laterallyextending wings.'

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views. r Myimproved fence-post lis preferably constructed hollow, so as to obtain the greatest strength from a given weight of material, and has extending through it at different points vopenings 2 2, which receive the wire-securing bolts 3 3, the said bolts having threaded inner ends for receiving, tightening, and securing nuts 4, and having their opposite ends hooked for the reception of the line-wires of the fence, by means of which hooks 5 and the nuts upon the opposite ends of said bolts said line-wires may be clamped to the post without the necessity of winding the same around the post or providing other securing devices. In other words, the hooks 5 serve not merely as guides for the passage of the line-wires therethrough but as clamps for holding the line-wires in close contact with the post.

The lower end of 'the post is preferably made rectangular in cross-section, the same terminating in a point or prong 6, which enables the post to be readily driven into the ground. Just above the point 6 the rectangular portion of the post is provided withA a slot 7, extending entirely therethrough, in which are mounted the laterally-swinging securing wings or anchors 8 8. The inner ends ot' said Wings are pivoted upon a bolt 9 and are so shaped by rabbeting and grooving as to fit and cooperate one with the other, so that they may be folded outwardly or inwardly, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The upper wall of the slot 7 is V-shaped in section, as shown at 10, so as to provide bearing-points for the inner upper edges of the wings 8. The

side edges of the post are also cut away The outer surface of each of the wings roo purpose of enabling said wings to cut their Way through the earth, and thereby be easily driven into the ground. This feature of construction is one which has been found in practice to be of material advantage in that it enables a post to be driven into the ground by power applied from above and dispenses with the necessity of digging holes for the reception of the post.

Having now described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination With a fence-post having a pointed lower end, a slot extending therethrough adjacent to said pointed end, the upper Wall of said slot being V-shaped in section and the sides of said post being cut away transversely adjacent to the upper end of said slot, of laterally-swirl ging win gs whose inner ends are formed with tongues which project into said slot and are pivoted to said post and Whose upper ends are adapted to cngage the sides of the V-shapcd upper Wall of said slot and the cut-away portion of said post adjacent to said slot.

2. The combination with a fence-post having a pointed lower end, a slot extending therethrough adjacent to said pointed end, the upper Wall of said slot being V-shaped in section and the sides of said post being cut away transversely adjacent to the upper end of said slot, of laterally-swim gin g wings Whose inner ends are formed With tongues which project into said slot and are pivoted to said post, Whose outer walls are beveled to a sharp cutting edge and Whose inner upper ends are adapted to engage' the sides of the V-shaped upper wall of said slot and the cut-away portion of said post adjacent to said slot.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALFORD N EWION SHA RROCK.

Witnesses:

ROBT. E. LEE, JOHN F. SHELTON. 

